Abstract

Attachment types, related childhood experiences, and behavior problems in 30 potential delinqency adolescents with school maladjustment and delinquency problems and 30 non-potential delinqency adolescents without any conduct problems have been compared and analyzed in this study. The AAI and K-YSR for adolescents and Conduct/oppositional Defiant Disorder Diagnosis Checklist for teachers administered by examiner. The results have showed that a distribution of attachment types was Dismissing>Autonomous>Preoccupied>Unresolved/disorganized (in the descending order) type in potential delinqency adolescents and Autonomous>Dismissing>Preoccupied type in non-potential delinqency adolescents, respectively. Potential delinqency adolescents have had larger number of negative life experiences in early childhood than non-potential delinqency adolescents. Also, potential delinqency adolescents of insecurely attached types have had larger number of negative life experiences than secure attachment types. However, there was no difference in numbers of negative life experiences between stable and unstable attachment types innon-potential delinqency adolescents. Comparison of childhood parenting experiences has showed that potential delinqency adolescents have experienced less parental affection and more parental rejection and neglect than non-potential delinqency adolescents. In the K-YSR, potential delinqency adolescents showed more behavior problems than non-potential delinqency adolescents.